Appeal Filed in California Court Case

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California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday appealed a district court ruling invalidating the End of Life Option Act; he requested the law be allowed to continue providing dying Californians with peace and control in their final days. While there are no guarantees during legal proceedings, all indicators suggest that death with dignity in California will remain available to patients while the appeal makes it way through the court system.

This is good news, but make no mistake: the fight for the right of terminally ill Californians to die with dignity is far from over. While we are confident that the short-sighted and mean-spirited ruling against terminally ill people of California will not stand, we cannot stop our efforts to defend the law.

This legal challenge is based on a procedural technicality, not the merits of the bill; it has nothing to do with aid in dying. That a judge would invalidate a law designed to aid those at the end of life on procedural points is simply wrong. Wrong for the people it directly affects and wrong in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of California voters who strongly support this law.

From Oregon 20 years ago to California today, opposition to death with dignity laws has always been led by the religious hierarchy of certain churches. This frivolous challenge is no different. The group funding this lawsuit—the Life Legal Defense Fund—has long-standing ties to the anti-abortion and anti-choice movements. They brought this lawsuit to try to force their own personal religious beliefs on all Californians.

We will always oppose every effort on the part of these religious groups to take away this right from Californians—and all Americans. We will not be deterred in ensuring dying patients are able to choose death with dignity when the time comes for them.

We stand with California Attorney General Becerra in defending the rights of the terminally ill to make their own decision on how to peacefully die. With your help, we will persist and prevail. Please donate today.